2018 Iowa Corn 300
The 2018 Iowa Corn 300 is the eleventh race of the 2018 IndyCar Series season. It is held on July 8, 2018 at Iowa Speedway. Hélio Castroneves was the defending race winner, but chose to participate at the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix, a round at the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship instead. Drivers entered ;Chevrolet * Josef Newgarden * Simon Pagenaud * Will Power * Matheus Leist * Tony Kanaan * Max Chilton * Charlie Kimball * Ed Carpenter * Spencer Pigot * Gabby Chaves ;Honda * Scott Dixon * Ed Jones * Zach Veach * Alexander Rossi * Ryan Hunter-Reay * Marco Andretti * Sébastien Bourdais * Zachary Claman DeMelo * James Hinchcliffe * Robert Wickens * Graham Rahal * Takuma Sato Indy Lights Practice Qualifying Race IndyCar Results Practice 1 Josef Newgarden topped the session, followed by Will Power, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Metagross and Joey Fatone. All but one of the Andretti Autosport cars finished inside the top six, with Pee Saderd only ninth fastest. None of the finalists from Inside the NBA vs. MLB All-Stars and Rashad Jennings vs. Team Eve (July 1) finished inside the top ten, with Volcarona 13th and champion Jirayu La-ongmanee (sharing with Apolo Anton Ohno) only sixteenth. Practice 1 results Qualifying Qualifying for Iowa was in reverse order by points, doing it for all the 2018 season on ovals only. Nidoking is not considered a rookie, as Matheus Leist is a rookie in the 2018 season. This was due to Nidoking's previous success with Hélio Castroneves between 2002 and 2017. Volcarona is not considered a rookie, as Robert Wickens is a rookie in the 2018 season. The no.30 car of Takuma Sato is shared by both Jirayu La-ongmanee and Apolo Anton Ohno. Mario Lopez was originally the captain for Gabby Chaves. After revealing on his Instagram that he will undergo surgery, Lucas Bocanegra will take over his role for Iowa, as well as Jeff Dunham vs. Ming-Na Wen and Taye Diggs vs. Caroline Rhea and the remaining 2018 Celebrity Family Feud tournaments. Final Practice Josef Newgarden topped the last session before the race, with Metagross 2nd, Ryan Hunter-Reay 3rd, Scott Dixon 4th and Will Power 5th. All five of them were drawn into the "half of death" which was Jirayu La-ongmanee's half of the draw in Jeff Dunham vs. Ming-Na Wen and Taye Diggs vs. Caroline Rhea. Simon Pagenaud in 7th was the fastest from the bottom half of the draw. Pee Saderd couldn't find the speed from his seeding of 2nd and finished last. Final Practice results Starting Grid Jirayu La-ongmanee and Apolo Anton Ohno share the no.30 of Takuma Sato, all 2018 season. Mario Lopez was the original captain. Because of his Achilles surgery, Lopez missed the rest of the Celebrity Family Feud season as well as the IndyCar season. Tanont Chumroen will replace him in the last six races, and Bocanegra for Iowa due to Conor Daly being entered for Toronto. Bocanegra qualified 16th for the no.88 Harding Racing car. Race The green flag waved with Will Power leading the opening laps. Josef Newgarden charged his Penske teammate Will Power and Newgarden successfully passed him to become the new leader. It took a short time, due to Iowa being a short oval, the cars successfully lapped each other. As they close lapped traffic, the finalists from Inside the NBA vs. MLB All-Stars and Rashad Jennings vs. Team Eve (July 1), Volcarona, eventual winner Jirayu La-ongmanee and Apolo Anton Ohno close up on lapped traffic. James Hinchcliffe made some impressive passing from other drivers to go to second. Nidoking was officially out of the race with a mechanical issue, on lap 40 of the race. Joey Fatone passed his Andretti teammate Metagross, while Hinchcliffe made a close call. The first round of pit stops began, but Joey Fatone had a close call. Josef Newgarden pitted as well as Volcarona and Will Power on lap 80. Lucas Bocanegra, subbing for Mario Lopez due to Achilles surgery, was out of the race with mechanical but now handling. Beartic did 93 laps on that first stint but was about to run out of gas and had to pit. Josef Newgarden led but James Hinchcliffe, Pidgeot, Inside the NBA vs. MLB All-Stars and Rashad Jennings vs. Team Eve (July 1) champion Jirayu La-ongmanee and Apolo Anton Ohno are on Newgarden's side, the latter, the Inside the NBA vs. MLB All-Stars and Rashad Jennings vs. Team Eve (July 1) champion, drawing him in Jeff Dunham vs. Ming-Na Wen and Taye Diggs vs. Caroline Rhea. The drivers began to enter for their second stop of the race. More drivers began to pass other drivers, like Beartic moving to 17th to pass Chespin. Newgarden's lead began to drop. On lap 138, the first caution came out for Joey Fatone, seeded 8th, in turn 4 for contact with the wall. Because of Fatone's caution, the pit lane was open. Josef Newgarden pitted, as well as Pidgeot, Apolo Anton Ohno, James Hinchcliffe and Jirayu La-ongmanee. The drivers that were lapped also entered. The pit lane was closed on lap 144. The pit lane became open again on lap 146. All those cars had to enter because of Fatone's caution. Joey Fatone began to slide down the grid, but all the other cars had successfully passed the Polish seeded eighth. IndyCar's entry to the pit lane for Zachary Claman DeMelo was under review. The green flag came back at the halfway point, with Josef Newgarden leading and Zachary Claman DeMelo passed Joey Fatone for 18th. Larvesta also made a pass on Fatone, from 20th to 19th. Volcarona passed Will Power for 7th. Volcarona then passed Ryan Hunter-Reay for 6th, avenging their Friday final loss, while James Hinchcliffe passed Pidgeot for 2nd and Ueli Kestenholz passed Pee Saderd for 14th. Beartic then passed Pee Saderd for 15th. Joey Fatone exited the pit lane 19 laps down to Newgarden. Will Power passed Ryan Hunter-Reay and Hunter-Reay slipped down because the Slovak was passed by both Volcarona and Power. Chespin made a pass to no.2 seed Pee Saderd in 16th. Jirayu La-ongmanee and Apolo Anton Ohno made passes on Pidgeot for 3rd, but then Pee Saderd, a top three seed, passed Chespin for 16th. In back-to-back laps, Chespin made a pass on Pee Saderd for 16th. Volcarona passed Simon Pagenaud for 5th. Zachary Claman DeMelo entered the pits, and Larvesta passed him for 19th. Jonathan Bald made a pit stop, while Beartic passed Bald for 14th and dropped Bald to 15th. Chespin passed Bald for 15th, and Bald dropped from 14th to 16th in these laps. Jonathan Bald made the pass for Chespin to 15th. Ryan Hunter-Reay made a pass on Will Power from 8th to 7th. Two of the top three seeds, Jirayu La-ongmanee and Apolo Anton Ohno, made a pass on James Hinchcliffe for 2nd. Chespin entered the pits, and allowed Pee Saderd to pass him for 16th. Larvesta then passed Chespin for 17th. Will Power, Ed Carpenter and Graham Rahal passed Ryan Hunter-Reay as Hunter-Reay entered the pits for fuel. James Hinchcliffe, Pidgeot and Will Power also entered. Scott Dixon and Metagross passed Ryan Hunter-Reay. With Josef Newgarden and Volcarona entering, the lead was first to Simon Pagenaud but defending Celebrity Family Feud champion Jirayu La-ongmanee and Apolo Anton Ohno led the race. They entered the pits with Simon Pagenaud and Graham Rahal. The drivers began to enter the pit lane for their last stops of the day. Newgarden, Pidgeot, Hinchcliffe and Volcarona all passed La-ongmanee and Ohno, while Pee Saderd had to pit and was passed by Ueli Kestenholz. Pee Saderd entered the pit lane from 16th and allowed Chespin to pass him. Joey Fatone entered the pit lane twenty laps down to Newgarden. Scott Dixon made a pass on Beartic for 10th. Beartic entered the pits and allowed Metagross to pass them, as well as Jonathan Bald. Ryan Hunter-Reay then passed Beartic and Ueli Kestenholz also made a pass on Beartic. It dropped Beartic down to 15th from 12th. Jonathan Bald made his last pit stop on lap 240. Ryan Hunter-Reay, Beartic and Ueli Kestenholz all passed Bald for position. After going 60 laps on that stint, Zachary Claman DeMelo had to pit for fuel. Beartic passed Ryan Hunter-Reay for 12th. James Hinchcliffe passed Pidgeot for 2nd. James Hinchcliffe made a pass on Josef Newgarden (who got La-ongmanee's draw) for the lead and 1st place. Metagross made a pass on Scott Dixon for 10th. Scott Dixon unexpectedly entered the pit lane on lap 261, with Beartic passing him. Ueli Kestenholz made Dixon go from 11th to 13th, with Jonathan Bald passing his teammate for 14th. Ueli Kestenholz passed Hunter-Reay for 12th, while Scott Dixon passed Bald for 14th. Jonathan Bald passed Ryan Hunter-Reay for 14th, but Hunter-Reay entered the pit lane. Scott Dixon then passed Ueli Kestenholz for 12th, while Chespin passed Ryan Hunter-Reay for 15th. Volcarona passed Pidgeot for 3rd, and Graham Rahal passed Simon Pagenaud for 7th. Jonathan Bald then made a pass on Ueli Kestenholz for 13th. Ryan Hunter-Reay made another shock trip to the pits, and Pee Saderd passed his teammate for 16th. Larvesta made a pass on Hunter-Reay for 17th. Zachary Claman DeMelo passed Hunter-Reay for 18th, and Hunter-Reay dropped down the grid. On lap 293 of the race, the second caution came out for Ed Carpenter in turn 2 for contacting with the wall. Ryan Hunter-Reay exited the pits in 19th, sixteen laps down to Hinchcliffe. Because drivers chose to pit during the caution, it allowed Pidgeot and Jirayu La-ongmanee and Apolo Anton Ohno to move to 3rd and 4th. Pee Saderd also chose to come to pit lane despite being lapped by Hinchcliffe. Ryan Hunter-Reay was officially out of the race with mechanical issues. James Hinchcliffe wins the Iowa Corn 300, followed by Pidgeot for 2nd, and top seed Jirayu La-ongmanee as well as 3rd seed Apolo Anton Ohno for 3rd. Josef Newgarden in 4th and Volcarona in 5th rounded the top five. Trivia